Former Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson’s warning for Olympic organisers

Former Brisbane Lord mayor Sallyanne Atkinson guided our bid for the 1992 Olympics and she has some wise words for those heading the 2032 Games. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

FORMER Brisbane Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson has made an impassioned plea for the state’s leaders to ensure an Olympic legacy lasting decades beyond our 2032 Games.

Speaking on the Towards The Games podcast with The Courier-Mail editor Chris Jones and Nova radio host David Lutteral, Ms Atkinson, who guided a Brisbane bid for the 1992 Olympics, said what happens beyond 2032 was just as important as the magical fortnight when the River City becomes the centre of the sporting world’s eye.

Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson. Picture: Megan Slade (AAP))

“It’s no use just having an event – you’ve really got to think about afterwards,” she said.

“The IOC now is very concerned about the legacy of the Games.

“They want to know what are you going to do later.

“We’ve got to get the planning and the management right.

“Let’s do this thing properly.”

One of Brisbane’s most popular mayors, Ms Atkinson was at the helm for some of the most significant moments in the city’s history, including Expo 88 and the ultimately-doomed Olympics bid which lost out to Barcelona.

She said the experiences she learned from other cities who have hosted the Olympics, Expos and other major events meant the right approach could shape the city of Brisbane for decades to come.

“We have to make sure that everything we do, we’re not just thinking about the Games, we’re thinking about what will this city look like in 2050,” she said.

“It’s not so much what we do right, it’s what we could do wrong.

“We have to make sure we don’t make any mistakes.”

She pointed to the success of Expo 88, which created the lasting legacy of South Bank which remains one of the world’s great urban public areas.

Some of Brisbane’s best and brightest minds have already had their say on legacy projects for the Olympics, with suggestions ranging from soaring towers to a “South Bank 2.0” public space through the heart of the city.

Sallyanne Atkinson and Andrew Gutteridge. Picture: Claudia Baxter

Following the success of Brisbane’s 1982 Commonwealth Games, then-Lord Mayor Roy Harvey announced a bold bid for the 1992 Olympics.

The baton was passed to Ms Atkinson when she became mayor in 1985.

Had the bid for the 1992 Games been successful, it could have become synonymous with some of the Olympics’ most iconic moments, such as Kieren Perkins’ stunning gold medal in the 1500m freestyle or the first appearance of the USA’s Dream Team basketball outfit.

Organisers are confident the 2032 Games will create its own history.